by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

At least 50 people were injured Thursday when a chartered casino bus overturned after apparently swerving on Interstate 210 east of Los Angeles.

The accident occurred about 10 a.m. PT on eastbound 210 in Irwindale, just past the interchange with the 605 Freeway. The crash left the bus - with the front windows knocked out - resting on its side down an embankment beside train tracks.

None of the injured was in critical condition, KTLA-TV said, citing the Los Angeles County Fire Department. KTLA reported 50 were injured; the Los Angeles Times said 55. Most suffered cuts and bruises.

A doctor told the Times that most of the patients he treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center were between 60 and 80 years old.

According to conversations on the California Highway Patrol radio, officers were seeking Chinese translators at the scene and at hospitals to help talk to passengers.

The Associated Press noted that the route is frequented by "gamblers' special" buses carrying tourists from the San Gabriel Valley to desert casinos and Las Vegas.

All lanes of 210 were shut down to allow emergency helicopters to land, creating a massive traffic jam winding back for several miles. The highway patrol opened the westbound lanes after about an hour, and some eastbound lanes were reopened just after 2 p.m.

Authorities did not immediately announce what caused the accident, saying the investigation was continuing.

Some witnesses said the bus was moving toward the carpool lane when the driver swerved and braked hard to avoid another vehicle, KABC-TV reported. A truck driver traveling behind the bus told the Times it was traveling about 70 mph before the accident.

Early reports said the bus had collided with a big rig, but one witness told KABC the bus clipped a car as it changed lanes.